Liverpool midfielder Javier Mascherano has been
banned for a further two matches and fined £15,000 following his
behaviour after being sent off in the game against Manchester
United on March 23, the Football Association have
confirmed.
Mascherano was banned for one match after being shown two yellow
cards by referee Steve Bennett at Old Trafford. But the Argentinian
has been banned for a further two games after he continued to
protest after being shown the red card by the official.
Mascherano admitted a charge of improper conduct and has been
punished further by the FA, with the additional suspension coming
into effect immediately. Mascherano - who missed the derby victory
over Everton as a result of the dismissal - will now also miss this
weekend's clash with Arsenal and the home game with Blackburn on
April 13
Following the announcement Liverpool confirmed that they will
consider their options before deciding whether to appeal the
decision. A club spokesman told www.liverpoolfc.tv: "Although we
received a fair hearing we must now decide whether to appeal on the
basis of inconsistency of sentencing for Javier based on past
precedents."
